Thailand’s cabinet approved new anti-money laundering legislation in the hope that the country would be removed from the FATF blacklist. Meanwhile, the Thai prime minister launched an anti-corruption campaign. More here and here. (Bangkok Post, AsiaOne, Bangkok Post, NNT)

Bulgarian anti-mafia police, with the help of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, smashed a money-laundering ring. More here and here. (Focus News, Sofia News Agency, OCCRP)

A Queens, N.Y. man accused of laundering money for Hezbollah faces new charges. He didn’t appear to be contacted for comment. More here. (NY Daily News, NY Post)

The Philippines is getting closer to implementing a new anti-money laundering law. The political fighting over its use is now dominating the conversation. (GMA News, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Philippine Daily Inquirer)

India’s sports ministry seeks an investigation into money-laundering charges at the Indian premier league. More here and here. (The Hindu, Times of India, IANS)

The latest on a money-laundering probe into the head of a Pakistani political party is here, here and here. (INP, Pakistan Today, Daily Times)

Sanctions:

South Korea is poised to halt its imports of Iranian oil, sources said to Reuters. Japan is looking to a way to pay for Iranian crude after a U.S. court ordered the bank clearing most Japanese transactions for the oil to freeze its Iranian assets. China’s Iranian crude imports rose compared to the last couple months, possibly signaling a return to full resumption of imports. More here and here. (Reuters, Financial Times sub req, Dow Jones Newswires, International Business Times, NY Times)

Iran’s top economics planner said sanctions won’t break the country, though he acknowledged they are posing “difficulties” for Tehran’s economy. The head of the U.N.’s atomic agency made a visit to Iran over the weekend ahead of talks about its nuclear program. Tehran says sanctions must be lifted for there to be any success at the talks. More here, here and here. (Wall Street Journal, National Journal, Wall Street Journal, Dow Jones Newswires, Reuters, AFP)

North Korea continues to violate United Nations sanctions, according to two diplomats on the Security Council. The Group of 8 nations, which met over the weekend, warned Pyongyang against any further provocations. (AP, AP)

On the sidelines of the G8, Japan and the EU differed on how to handle Iran. (Dow Jones Newswires)

Hope stirs in Cuba at hints about lighter sanctions by the U.S. (NY Times)

Syria argued that sanctions against it violate human rights. (DP-News)

Terrorism Finance:

Nigeria may face blacklisting by the FATF and other money-laundering watchdogs over its inability to track the source of funding to the Islamist group Boko Haram. The U.S. Justice Department is seeking to get the group listed as a foreign terrorist organization. More here and here. (Nigerian Tribune, Sahara Reporters, Nigerian Bulletin, Vanguard)

Transparency:

Payments made by Shell in Nigeria undermine its case for weaker rules governing programs designed to disclose such payments, Global Witness said. (news release)

General Anti-Corruption:

Why are isolated state capitals more corrupt than their centrally located counterparts? (Monkey Cage)

Corruption sometimes makes it impossible for an Afghan army general to do his job, he said. (AP)

FIFA says it will have to substantiate evidence of corruption by the head of the Zimbabwean soccer association before it takes action against it. (News Day)

Four Mexican officers were detained in a corruption probe. Neither the federal attorney general’s office nor the military confirmed the allegations. (CNN)

A corruption investigation in South Korea unearthed tens of billions of won, prosecutors said. (UPI)

About Corruption Currents

Corruption Currents, The Wall Street Journal’s corruption blog, digs into the ever-present and ever-changing world of corporate corruption. It is a source of news, analysis and commentary for those who earn a living by finding corruption or by avoiding it. Corruption Currents is written by Christopher. M. Matthews and Sam Rubenfeld and edited by Nick Elliott.

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